State Briefs 11.23.09

WESTMONT - A Westmont man who was arrested in October for allegedly stalking and taking nude videos of a female ESPN reporter entered a plea of not guilty in federal court Monday.

Michael David Barrett, 48, entered a plea of not guilty in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. He is free on $100,000 bond.

Barrett is charged with interstate stalking after he allegedly took video of ESPN reporter Erin Andrews through the peep holes of hotel rooms that he altered and tried to sell the video clips to celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com, according to the complaint filed in federal court.

Chicago Suburban Life

Grandmother charged in connection with fatal crash

PEKIN - The grandmother of a teenager charged in a fatal Tazewell County accident that killed a mother and her young son was charged Wednesday in 10th Judicial Circuit Court with discarding evidence.

Janet L. Maile, 61, of Pekin, is charged with obstruction of justice, a Class 4 felony, for allegedly throwing her grandson’s one-hitter pipe into a corn field after a collision on July 11 that killed Caroline J. Rosenbohm, 27, and her son, Maxwell Dodd, 4, both of Peoria. Her grandson was the driver of the vehicle that hit Rosenbohm’s vehicle.

Janet Maile paid 10 percent of a $5,000 bail and was released from the Tazewell County Justice Center on Thursday.

Colby A. Maile, 17 at the time of the crash, was indicted by a Tazewell County grand jury on Aug. 13 with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs, a Class 2 felony — one count for each victim of the crash.

Colby Maile remains in custody at the Tazewell County Justice Center under a $100,000 bail.

Pekin Daily Times

Grandma goes for ride in stunt plane

DOWNERS GROVE - Barrel rolls and loops in a stunt plane was one way Florence Duym celebrated her 91st birthday.

On a Sunday after her birthday, Duym said her grandson Matthew Mukenschnabl called and asked her if she wanted to go up in the plane for a ride. She jumped at the chance.

“You are up there and it is quiet,” Duym said. “It is quiet for just a short time, and you really feel closer to God there.”

To prepare for her flight, Duym said she had to put on a parachute. Her grandson explained it was just in case of emergency, which brought disappointment as she thought she might be going skydiving.

“It was so comical,” Duym said. “I had to step into the parachute - 91 and putting this parachute on.”

When getting into the plane, she was unaware it was a stunt plane, but once she figured it out, she was thrilled to go. Once in the air, her grandson decided to do a barrel roll.

“It was wonderful,” Duym said. “I couldn’t stop laughing.”

Duym said she would love to have the opportunity to go again.

“I am really very thankful that I had the opportunity and he asked me to do that,” Duym said. “It was just fun all around.”

Chicago Suburban Life

Riverton man gets 26 years for sex assault

SPRINGFIELD - A Riverton man convicted in April of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in his home between 2004 and 2006 has been sentenced to 26 years in prison.

Raymond Vervalen, 47, was found guilty of three counts of criminal sexual assault and two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse following a jury trial. Statute requires that the sentences for each count be served consecutively.

Circuit Judge Patrick Kelley sentenced Vervalen to six years in prison on each of the sexual assault counts and four years each on the sexual abuse convictions. The minimum Vervalen could have received was 18 years in prison, and the maximum was 59 years.

Assistant state’s attorney Sheryl Essenburg asked the judge to sentence Vervalen to a total of 40 years.

The victim was a family friend who occasionally spent weekends with Vervalen and Brian Layton, 39, who lived with Vervalen. The boy did not reveal the abuse until he was 17, about two years after the crimes occurred, Essenburg said.

Layton, who testified for the state at trial, pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and earlier was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

State Journal-Register

88 arrested at underage drinking party

PEORIA - Eighty-eight underage young adults were cited at an underage drinking party on the West Bluff early Sunday. The 21-year-old resident of the home was arrested on felony drug charges.

Illinois State Police were conducting an Operation Campus/Tap detail on Saturday in the Bradley University area. Plainclothes officers came upon the party just before 12:30 a.m.

William R. Betke, 21, was arrested and booked on charges of manufacturing/delivery of marijuana, production of marijuana plants, possession of between 2.5 and 10 grams of marijuana and obstructing justice.

Eighty-eight partygoers ranging in age from 17 to 20 were cited with a city municipal ordinance violation notice for consumption of alcohol by a minor. Two others were arrested for obstructing/resisting an officer.

Journal Star

GateHouse News Service

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